Power-carrying grading-machine.



PATENTED OCT. 30, 1905.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1 905.

2 SHBETSSHEETH1.

rm: NORRIS PETERS 20., WASHINGTON, D- c.

PATBNTED OCT. 30, 1906.

No. 834,456. v r Hl GLAPP.

POWER CARRYING GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS 00., WASHINGTON, n. c.

which is mounted a steam-engine.

UNITED STATES HIRAM ALLAN CLAPP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

POWER-CARRYING GRADING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Oct. 30, 1906.

Application filed September 11. 1905. Serial No. 277,826.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM ALLAN CLAPP, acitizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Carrying Grading-Machines; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of'the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to improvements in that class of implementsknown as elevating-graders.

The invention has for one of'its objects to provide an elevating-graderhaving self-carried power for operating its elevating mechanism.

Another object is to provide a convertible elevating-grader or one whoseelevating mechanism may be operated by a self-carried power or operatedfrom the usual groundwheels.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elevating-graderhaving a positivelydriven elevating mechanism or one not dependent uponthe ground-wheels for the driving power.

Another object is to mount a steam-engine upon an elevating-grader foruse in driving the elevating mechanism and. providing a steam connectionbetween the said steam-engine and the source of steam-sup- -ply, suchconnection being capable of accommodating itself to the variousmovements of the grader and the said steam source.

Still another object of the invention is to combine a traction-engineand elevatinggrader, provide a steam-engine for the latter, anddetachable steam connection between the traction-engine and steam-enginefor the purposes above outlined. I

In the appended drawings, which form part of this application, Figure 1is a side elevation. of my improved grader, shown in connection withatraction-engine and 'on Fig. 2 is a View of the rear end of a grader,showing a steam-engine mounted thereon. Fig. 3 is a face view of abeveled gear-wheel, showing a shaft to which it is keyed and ashifting-lever for shifting said gear along its shaft.

Fig. 4 is an end view of a clutch member.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a sprocket-Wheel with which the clutch membershown in Fig. 4 is designed to engage. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of ashifting-lever,showing means for holding it at each limit of its travel.

The grading-machine may be of any approved form of construction, since Ilay no claim to the machine itself. Int-he figures the frame of a graderis represented by the letter A, and B represents the rear carryingwheelstherefor. The forward end is provided with a pivotal support 0 to restupon the rear portion D of a traction-engine D; but this has been fullydescribed in my former application, filed on the 26th day of August,1905, Serial No. 275,936, andwill need no further description.

At E is a beam which serves to carry the plow memberF and rolling-cutterG, as in other machines of this class. Suitably suspended from themachine-frameas, for in-- stance, by han ers His an elevator J for thedirt turned y the plow, the upper end of such elevator having means foradjusting it to a desired clevationas, for instance, by means of a cableK and winding-drum L, operated by a hand-Wheel M.

Within the elevator is a chain-drag N, carried by sprocket-wheels O andP above and below, respectively. This drag N has usually been drivenfrom the ground-wheels B, a beveled gear Q (shown in the drawings) beingemployed to drive a beveled pinion R, carried on a shaft S, the latteralso having a sprocket-wheel T for imparting motion 'to the uppersprocket V by and through a sprocket-chain U. As has been stated, thismethod or its equivalent has been employed.

for driving the elevator; but in loose dirt or mud the wheels slip sothat power from this source is possible only under the most favorableconditions.

It is my purpose therefore to provide a source of power that is fully upto the demands at all times, is always ready, and, furthermore, whennecessary will operate to drive the elevator even when the grader is notmoving. Upon the top of the grader or at any suitable place, in fact, islocated a steam-engine, (indicated by W,) which receives steam from thetraction-engine D through a pipe 2 on the latter, said pipe having acut-off valve 3 for shutting off the steam at that point. 2 with a pipe4 of the engine W is a flexible steam connection 5, which may be arubber Connecting the pipe IIO ' hose or other suitable material thatwill stand the pressure of steam. Evidently, however, other forms ofconnection can be employed, if desired, although the flexible one isperhaps preferable, for the reason that it can be more readily attachedand detached and put out of the way, it being necessary also to havesuch a connection as will have steam-tight joints while accommodatingitself to the varying positions of the tractionengine and the grader. Onthe crankshaft 6 of the engine W is a gear-wheel 7, meshing withasimilar gear 8 on the end of a shaft 9, having bearings at 10 on thegraderframe. Said shaft 9 carries a sprocketwheel 11, connected with asprocket-whecl12 on the shaft S, before described by means of a chain13. The sprocket-wheel last mentioned is loose on its shaft, so that theengine W can be operated without driving the said shaft S, or the gradercan be operated by its own power through the ground-wheels when desired.Upon the shaft is a shifting clutch 14 having projecting members 15thereon for entering recesses 16 in the hub of the sprocket-wheel. Theclutch is keyed to the shaft and. must consequently turn the same whenthe sprocket and-clutch are in engagement. A lever 17, pivoted to theframe of the machine, serves to shift the clutch, and a U-shaped member,Fig. 6, is secured also to the frame and holds the lever by friction ineither'of its two positions by throwing it into the notches therein.

The gear-wheel R before mentioned, which is carried on the shaft S, isshiftable bymeans of a lever 19, similar in all respects to the lever17, the hub of the gear being properly formed to receive said lever,said gear being suitably keyed to its shaft, Fig. 3, for drivingthelatter. It will now be understood that by throwing the gears R and Qout of engagement and connecting the sprocket 12 and its clutch 14 theengine W is free to drive the elevator without interference from thegear R. On the other hand, by reversing the positions of saidconnections the engine and its driving connections with the shaft willbe entirely free of the latter, so that the ground-wheel can furnish thepower as heretofore. I provide such a construction in order that agrading-machine will be adaptable for connection with a traction-engineor drawn by means of horses.

In the pipe 4 of the engine W is placed a valve 20, having a stem 21extending toward the operators platform, a hand-wheel 22 serving tooperate said valve, and in this way the engine can be readily andinstantly stopped at any time. Connected with a traction-engine in themanner shown and described in my former application referred to or evenwhen drawn on all of its wheels great value, because thoroughly reliableand having practically unlimited power for the work in hand.

Other self-carrying power may be placed on the grader it is true, butthe steam-engine is to be preferred for the reasons stated. Any otherform of connection can be used between the engine W and the elevator andany style of clutch mechanism can be employed without departing from thespirit and intent of the invention. As a matter of fact, a motor of anykind may be employed so long as the proper power can be conducted toitsuch, for instance, as air or electricity. It is understood that thegrader is convertible from its own carrying or ground wheels to theengine by simply removing the forward wheels, the pivotal means at Oproviding the means for connection with the engine or said front wheels.The levers 17 and 19 described may be connected, as by the bar 23, sothat in throwing one of themas, for instance, the lever 19 to remove thegear R from gear Q to remove the power connection with the groundwheel Bthe lever 17 will be operated to connect the engineW with the elevator,and vice versa.

I claim 1. The combination of a traction-engine, a grading-machine inthe rear of, separate from, and drawn by said engine, an elevator forthe grader, a steam-engine carried on the grader for driving theelevator and a steam connection between the steam-engine and thetractionengine for imparting driving movement to the former.

2. The combination of a traction-engine, a grading-machine in the rearof and drawn by said engine, an elevator for the grader for the purposesset forth, a pow er-producing device on the grader having connectionwith said elevator for driving it and a detachable yielding tubularconnection between the traction-engine and the power-producing devicefor conveying driving pressure therethrough from the former to thelatter.

3. The combination of a traction-engine, a grading-machine in the rearof, drawn by, and supported at its forward end on said engine, anelevator for the grader, an independent power device carried by the saidgrader, and a yielding tubular connection between the said power deviceand the traction-engine for conveying the driving pressure therethroughto said power device such connection adapted to conform to the variouschanges of position of the traction-engine and the grader relatively.

4. A grading-machine comprising the wheeled frame, a plow carriedthereon, an elevator for receiving dirt from the plow, power meansbetween the ground-wheels and the elevator for driving the latter, meansfor throwing the same into and out of gear,

separate power means carried on the machine, driving connection betweenthe said power means and the elevator, and means for throwing the samein and out of gear for the purposes set forth.

5. A grader comprising its carrying-frame, a plow carried on the frame,an elevator for receiving dirt from the plow, driving means on thecarrying-wheels of the grader, connections between such means and theelevator for driving the latter, a power device carried on the machine,connections between it and the elevator for drivin the latterfrom saidpower device, means or disconnecting the driving means on theground-wheels from the elevator and means for disconnecting the saidpower device from said elevator all for the purposes set forth anddescribed.

6. A grading-machine con prising a wheeled frame, a plow carriedthereon, an elevator for receiving dirt from the plow, power meansbetween the ground-wheels and the elevator for driving the latter, meansfor throwing the same in and out of gear, separate power means carriedon'the machine, driving connection between the said power means and theelevator, and means for throwing the same into gear to drive theelevator when the first said power means is disconnected and vice versa.

7. The combination of a traction-engine, a grading-machine in the rearand drawn by said engine, the forward portion of said I grader havingsupport on the engine, an elevator on the grader for the purposes setforth, a power-motor also on the grader for driving the elevator, meansfor connecting and disconnecting the motor and elevator, andpressure-conveying means between the traction-engine and motor.

8. The combination of a traction-engine, an elevating-grader drawn bythe engine, ground-wheels for the grader, power connections between thewheels and elevator for driving the latter from the said wheels, meansfor connecting and disconnecting the power means and the elevator, apower-motor carried on the grader, driving connection between the motorand elevator, means for releasing the connection from the elevator forthe purposes described, and pressure-convey ing means between the engineand powermotor, said elevator being driven from the round-wheels or themotor at the times and or the purposes described.

9. An elevating-grader convertible from a power-drawn to a horse-drawnimplement, comprising a frame, ground-wheels therefor, drivingconnection on the ground-wheels, an elevator driven thereby, apower-motor car- .ried on the frame, driving connection between themotor and elevator, connection for conveying pressure from a source ofpower, means for connecting one power mechanism with the elevator anddisconnecting the other for the purposes indicated, and

other means for detachably mounting the forward end of the grader onfront carryingwheels or traction-engine.

10. A grading-machine comprising a wheeled frame,'a plow carriedthereon, an elevator for receiving dirt from the plow, power meansbetween the ground-wheels and the elevator for driving the latter,separate power means carried on the machine, driving connection betweenthe power means and the elevator and means for simultaneously changingthe power from one to the other of thedriving sources.

11. The combination with a grading-machine comprising a frame wheeled atits rear end, of a traction-engine to which the forward end of thegrader is connected and on which it is supported, a plow carried on thegrader, an elevator, driving connection between the wheels of the graderand said elevator, a power device carried on the grader for driving theelevator, a flexible steam connection between the boiler of thetractionengine and the power device and means for disconnecting thedriving connection between the wheels and the elevator and the saidpower device and the elevator.

12. The combination with a grading-machine comprising a frame wheeled atits rear end, of a traction-engine to which the forward end of thegrader is connected and on which it is supported, a plow carried on thegrader, an elevator, driving connection between the wheels of the graderand said elevator, a power device carried on the grader for driving theelevator, a flexible steam connection between the boiler of thetractionengine and the power device, and means for simultaneouslydisconnecting one of the driving connections of the elevator andthrowing the other into operation.

13. In a grading-machine convertible from a horse-drawn to anengine-drawn, comprisin a wheeled frame, a plow, an elevator, drivingconnections between. thewheels and elevator, means for disconnecting thesame, a separate power means carried on the grader, driving connectionbetween said power means and the elevator and means for disconnectingthe power means and elevator and connecting the wheel and the elevatorwhen the grader is to be drawn by horses, such operation being reversedwhen the grader is drawn by the traction-engine, and a flexibleconnection between the latter and the power means for the purposes setforth.

14. In a grading apparatus the combinaconnection with the engine, andmeans for conveying pressure from the engine to the power device for thepurposes described.

15. The combination of a steam tractionengine, a grading-machineconnected thereto and drawn thereby, an elevator for the saidgrading-machine, a power device for driving the elevator self-carried bythe grader, the said power device being independent of mechanicaldriving connection with the engine 10 and a conduit for conveyingpressure from the engine to such power device.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HIRAM ALLAN CLAPP. Witnesses:

FRANK L. SALISBURY, EDWARD J. HERDLIQKA.

